


Above The Clouds

by taichara



Category: Gundam SEED Destiny Astray
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 12:03:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5416232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another world, another reason -- if the same reason -- for Shinn to wind up in the PLANTs ~</p>
            </blockquote>





	Above The Clouds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eliyes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliyes/gifts).



As it turned out, Shinn Asuka was really, really bad at writing letters.

To be fair, it wasn't a _normal_ letter he was hunched over his desk terminal hacking away at composing; he'd figured out how to break through the wall of emotional rollercoaster that was his life and manage to send off those. Besides, if he didn't his 'cousin' would probably find some way to get into the PLANTs -- some diplomatic excuse or crazier stuff, he figured, and he wasn't about to ask -- and hunt him down. 

He didn't particularly _want_ to have Mina hunting him down, so, letters. He was fairly bloody certain he wouldn't be in one piece when she was finished with him, and it didn't matter how much she'd fussed when he'd shipped off into space either; provoking the head of the extended family was a bad, bad idea.

_Hell, I can remember when her brother would be pissed at something gone wrong at Morgenroete._

_Only saw him pissed off once, and that was enough for me. Brrrr._

Rondo Ghina Sahaku had never ever shown that knife-edge temper to Shinn, though, and not to his parents or his sister either. The opposite, in fact; he was the one who pulled the strings and made sure there were open postings just waiting for them with Morgenroete, even though the Asukas were a cadet branch of the family at best, some four branches over ...

_... Damnit._

He paused, slouching in his seat, almost hugging himself as he willed the tears to _not_ start, damn it anyway. His family was dead; Ghina was dead. Everyone was dying because of all the stupid shit the PLANTs and OMNI and Orb -- and Cagalli Yula Athha, he corrected himself -- kept pulling, over and over and _over_. 

Grief and anger warred inside, a heat under his skin and a burning behind his eyes until he wrestled it down. That wasn't going to get the letter written. 

_Need to save that for the second trial runs this evening --_

Immigrating to the PLANTs, with Mina greasing the wheels to get him his papers, he'd clawed his way into ZAFT and their test pilot program, which was exactly where he -- and Rondo Mina Sahaku -- wanted him to be. The best place for him to be.

_That stupid idiot running Orb brought all that mess to our doorstep, her and her so-wonderful friends. Now she's playing diplomat and she doesn't even see what half the high and mighty in Orb have planned for her ..._

_Idiot. She needs to get turfed out yesterday._

Maybe Cagalli didn't see it, but his cousin certainly did. And his cousin was six steps ahead of all the plans those high and mighty bastards thought they were making so sneakily -- and he had his own part to play in that.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, fast as lightning. Too much on his mind, not enough typing. But, try as he might, he couldn't get his mind off the topic. 

Cagalli seemed to think that everything was just fine, while the PLANTs got themselves a new Chairman and geared up mobile suit production again and OMNI did whatever the hell it was that had the PLANTs up in arms; but that was just plain idiocy in action.

_No one engineering the suits we've been testing is just doing it for shits and giggles._

_The PLANTs -- no, ZAFT -- has a plan. And I don't know what it is, but anyone can see it involves going to Earth. That Gaia suit sure as hell isn't some space design, for starters --_

"Hey, Shinn, are you planning to leave some time today? We've got orientation for the new suit before we start the trials, remember?"

Courtney's voice drawled from his doorway, nearly sending him rocketing from his desk. He _did_ yelp, which pulled an amused snort from his fellow test pilot. Snickering, Courtney ambled up to Shinn's desk, took one glance at the console's screen, and rolled his eyes heavenward.

"More writing home about all the shiny amazing things in space? Just how long _is_ that thing? And is that an attempt at poetry? Honestly, Shinn, you need to learn to move on."

Shinn glowered, and the other's voice softened just a smidge.

"Don't give me that look. I mean, you went through all that hell to get here, I'm just kind of surprised you're clinging that much, you know?"

"She's the only family I have left, Courtney."

Struck; the last of the amusement drained from Courtney's face.

"... Okay, yeah. I'm being a jerk. Sorry.

"Come on, though, get that finished and sent out in the queue and let's get going -- Engineering's finally rolling out the Impulse properly and rumour has it someone who _isn't_ Mare's getting first crack at it, and I'll bet that's going to be you. You don't want to miss a chance like that --!"

No, indeed Shinn did not. Not in a million years. 

The rest of the letter was pounded out in record time, and he was out of his seat and racing Courtney out the door almost before he'd hit send.

-*-

Scanning through the latest missives and mail to fill her dedicated server on Ame-no-Mihashira's systems, Rondo Mina Sahaku spotted Shinn's letter and opened the file. Her monitor filled with excited descriptions of the view from space, of how he was setting in, and a dozen other tiny anecdotes ... and then she scanned to the first bit of awkward, earnest-seeming verse.

_Now this is interesting ..._

She smiled. That was the sign she waited for. 

Moments later, and the cipher was cracked. Shinn had deployed the Sahaku codes without a flaw; the entire letter was a mine of data, hidden within the breathless missives of a still-grieving youth.

_Oh, very interesting indeed. And very detailed._

Should Orb falter in its tracks for Athha's weakness, Ame-no-Mihashira would be ready. And the PLANTs, at the least, would be holding few surprises in their arsenal now ...

_Excellent work, Shinn, dear cousin; your vengeance will serve our family well._


End file.
